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With so many types of yoga offered these days, it’s no wonder people get confused. Bikram and hot yoga are often used interchangeably, but this is not correct. Bikram yoga is one of several types of hot yoga. The poses done and temperature of the room vary between different systems of hot yoga.

Bikram Choudhury

Bikram yoga takes its name from Bikram Choudhury, who originated this form. Choudhury grew up in India, where he learned yoga as a child from Bishnu Ghosh. Fans of spiritual books might be familiar with "The Autobiography of a Yogi," which was written by Ghosh’s brother. Choudhury was very successful at yoga, winning championships throughout India. He alleges that yoga healed his body after a weightlifting accident severely damaged his knee while he was still a teenager. Choudhury has become wildly succesful in the United States, where he’s trained thousands of teachers and franchised about 500 yoga studios.

Copyrighting Yoga

Choudhury is a wealthy, charismatic and controversial figure in the yoga world. Many yoga teachers have questioned his decision to copyright his 90-minute sequence of 26 yoga poses done in a room heated to 105 degrees Fahrenheit. Choudhury has sued several teachers and studios who use his sequence without his permission. He is very particular about how the classes are taught. If the 26 poses are taught in that sequence, Choudhury wants his name attached. And if his name is attached, he wants the classes taught in exactly the same way. So if students sign up for a Bikram class, they'll know just what to expect.

Other Hot Styles

But if a student goes to a class simply billed as “hot yoga,” there’s much more latitude. Several other hot yoga styles have popped up in the last few years, including some founded by former Bikram teachers. Jimmy Barkan of Florida developed his own series, which he calls the Barkan Method. Some teachers embrace heat, but find 105 degrees F a little too hot. YogaFit, a company that tries to bridge the gap between yoga and fitness, recently introduced YogaFit Sweat. According to Carol Shankland, a senior master trainer for YogaFit, teachers of the new Sweat style keep the thermostat between 85 and 99 degrees F. “Our body temperature is 98 degrees so we should probably stop there,” she said. Core Power is a national yoga brand known for doing a flow style in hot rooms.

Considerations

The heat itself is controversial. Pro-heat instructors say that high temperatures will make you lose weight and sweat out toxins. Other teachers say the heat leads to dehydration. Everyone agrees that heat allows more stretching, but this also has pros and cons. The heat makes it easier to get into a deep pose, but also easy to go farther than you should and later regret it. People with medical conditions which are aggravated by heat should avoid all hot yoga classes, Bikram and otherwise. If in doubt, consult your doctor about whether hot yoga is appropriate for you.

About the Author

Teresa Bergen writes about fitness, health, yoga, travel and the arts. She is the author of "Vegetarian Asia Travel Guide" and has written hundreds of articles for publications online and off. Bergen also teaches yoga, spinning and group fitness classes, and is an ACE-certified personal trainer.